Monday, 3 July 2017

Native Translators or Philologists - Who’s the Best?

General ideas about Native Translators and Philologist

It is a general
belief that native speakers have an edge over those who learned the language
through the study. Native speakers do not pay much heed to the grammar, syntax,
or other technical matters that much in comparison to the philologists.
Philologists are those who study linguistics, history and origin of a language.
Their knowledge is very different from those of native speakers. They delve
deep into the languages and do a thorough analysis of them to gain a better
understanding. This trait differentiates a philologist from a native speaker or
translator

Now when it
comes to language translation services, both philologists and native translators
are helpful. It totally depends on the situation and requirements whether one
should go for a native speaker or a studied linguist. Translation companies all
over the world hire both types of translators for their diverse requirements. Somya
Translators Pvt. Ltd., a multi-language translation company in India, boasts
teams of both native translators and expert linguists to strike the perfect
balance. To understand the differences of the native translators and
philologists, we need to look at the nature of their working.

The Working Pattern of a Philologist

Philologists
acquire the knowledge of a language through in depth studies and research. They
are aware about the origin of the language, its evolution over the years, the
events that have shaped it and so on. For instance, when they use a word they
know exactly at what context it is applicable and how it affects the readers.
They are better suited in academic settings as their knowledge help the
students and researchers to find the authenticity of the language. The
historical as well as classical texts that are written in ancient languages
require the assistance of the philologists to understand. They, along with
their expert knowledge help to decode every word and its context. Their
knowledge of the history of the language also comes handy in this situation.

There is another
situation where their expertise helps a lot. In diplomatic matters where the
emotion and the sensibilities of the people in front are as much important as
the matters discussed, the philologists can be of great help. They know exactly
how they perceive a conversion and how to direct it so that it can get the work
done.

Likewise, the business world too can benefit
from philologists when they have a global expansion plan. They help to
understand the language in the context of its history, people and culture. It
makes the connection with the target consumer, easy and effective.

Need for Native Translators

Now, the native
translators too have their place in the market. There is no denying that a
native translator understands the subtleties and nuances of his own language
automatically and better than others. They know the common uses and phrases
very well, they are also updated about the new trending terms and words earlier
than others. Most importantly, they are aware of the abusive languages and
local slangs. This knowledge comes handy when you are dealing with local
people. The business houses can benefit from them by using their skills in
sales and marketing and retail related projects.

Final Words - Who Is Best?

The main point
is neither the philologists nor the native translator is absolute. They both
perform different duties and both of them are necessary to keep things going.
All we have to keep in mind is that their skills and knowledge should be
applied where it is most relevant to gain maximum benefit out of them.